TIRExB statement on the functioning of the TIR Convention in the Russian Federation after 1 July 2014

News

1 July 2014

At its fifty-ninth session (Geneva, 30 June - 1 July 2014) , the TIR Executive Board adopted the following statement on the functioning of the TIR Convention in the Russian Federation after 1 July 2014:

"At its 59th session (Geneva, 30 June – 1 July 2014), the TIR Executive Board, the intergovernmental body supervising the application of the TIR Convention, 1975, took note of the decision of 30 June 2014 by the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation to, once more, prolong the existing guarantee agreement between FCS and the Association of International Road Carriers (ASMAP) until 30 November 2014.

At the same time, TIRExB reiterated, with regret, that FCS continues to implement measures that contradict the provisions of the TIR Convention and that lead to severe restrictions on the use of TIR Carnets in all regions and almost all customs offices of the Russian Federation. These restrictions negatively affect TIR Carnet holders conducting TIR transports with the Russian Federation and, ultimately, have serious consequences for international transport and trade as a whole.

TIRExB appealed to the Russian government to restore the proper functioning of the TIR system on the whole territory of the Russian Federation by lifting, without further delay, the restrictions imposed on TIR Carnet holders.

TIRExB requested the TIR secretariat to transmit this statement to the authorities of the Russian Federation and to post it on the UNECE and TIR websites."

The statement by TIRExB has equally been issued as a UNECE pressrelease.